'When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses not zebras' - the old adage is well-known to GPs but what should you do when faced with a zebra, not a horse? Consultant cardiologist Professor Robert Tulloh and GP Dr Louise Tulloh kick off our new series with their advice on how to catch Kawasaki disease in general practice.

Revalidation appeal if GPs feel harshly judged by managers

GPs who feel they have been harshly judged by local managers under revalidation will be able to appeal to an independent panel under proposals from the RCGP.

The college says it has concerns over whether primary care organisations will be able to run revalidation appropriately.

It wants a National Adjudication Panel to decide on difficult cases and carry out spot checks of performance across PCOs to ensure some are not going too soft on GPs and others clamping down inappropriately.

RCGP chair Professor Steve Field told Pulse the board would include GPs, lay people and representatives of the new cadre of hugely powerful responsible officers, who will oversee revalidation in each PCO.

‘We need the national panel because there will be cases at a local level where they won't be sure whether the doctor should be revalidated,' he said.

Professor Field said he had concerns over the controversial responsible officer role and the failure of some PCOs to implement GP appraisals properly.

He said it was essential the officers – who will have sweeping powers over whether doctors retain their certificate to practise - should be GPs and hold the post of PCO medical director, so they were accountable at board level.

‘I'm concerned not about the standard or commitment of GPs, but about how seriously some PCTs will take this agenda, because we have some that haven't been engaged in appraisal or don't have medical directors, he said.

Some PCOs had non-GPs or even non-doctors in medical director roles, he warned.

A GMC spokesperson said: ‘Revalidation will be based on local systems of appraisal and clinical governance. All parties have agreed the implementation must be phased and only rolled out when local structures are in place and local systems ready.'

Professor Steve Field: RCGP's proposed adjudication board would include GPs, lay people and new 'responsible officers'. Professor Steve Field: RCGP's proposed adjudication board would include GPs, lay people and new 'responsible officers'.